A serious mistake is about to be made in the placement of the so-called wastewater reclamation plant. Concerned only with their own financial interests, there are those who want to put that unit in Central Malibu in, or adjacent
to, the so-called Chili Cook-Off site.
First, let us call things for what they truly are. Those three plots of flood plain north of Pacific Coast Highway are the site of the present and future Malibu Central Park and can suffer no limitations placed on them by anyone as
to their future use. The key words, for anyone who would do so to understand, are eminent domain and permit and inspection process and flood plain.
The engineering firm Questa was obviously given a few cards short of a full deck to work with for its study. The best place for an area water reclamation site is further north, outside the present political boundaries of Malibu, since
the wastewater recovery problem concerns, and serves, more than just the coastal strip. I am a firm believer in the need for such a system. As long as Malibu imports water, it should clean and re-use all water scrupulously. There are
many uses grey-water can be put to.
But first, let us follow the example of New York, Boston and many other world class cities, great and small, by saving a large, open, green space in the center of town for a myriad of public uses. At the same time, when the flood
plain is called upon by Nature, no mad use of public expenditure will be called upon to bail out those foolish and greedy enough to put fragile buildings where Nature must labor every few years.
Believe me, the present ownership counts on being bailed-out, but insurers and the Federal Government are getting wise to those who build in flood-prone areas. Remember the ballot measures, which the present owners used a few
months ago to attempt to draw such a blanket over themselves?
Do not be fooled by shortsighted Questa engineering studies and the forceful demands of those needing to be bailed out. Proclaim Malibu’s Central Park and set a more visionary group of engineers working on the wastewater
problem!
V. Gerald Scordan